Originally drafted in the seventh round as a swing lineman capable of filling in at multiple positions, Beachum is perhaps the NFL's smallest blindside protector at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds.

Despite that slight build, Beachum has proven to be a better pass protector than second-round draft picks Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert.

Here's what else we learned from Colbert on Thursday:

» Colbert believes this year's draft class is the
deepest he's seen, but it's also the most immature class he's witnessed in his 30 seasons working in football.

» Asked about the NFL's trend away from early-round running backs, Colbert cited college football's spread offenses. Running backs have been relegated to bit players before they enter the league. It's hard to project 15-20 carries per game for a back who only touched the ball a dozen times each game as a situational player in college.

» When Colbert evaluates college quarterbacks, he pays special attention to third downs and the two-minute drill. He wants to know how they perform in "big moments, challenging moments."

» Defensive coordinator
Dick LeBeau's defense has long been regarded as one of the most challenging for rookies to make an instant impact. Colbert attributed a good portion of that to the "tough transition" college defense ends have in moving to outside linebacker in LeBeau's 3-4 scheme.